The rich archaeological record of the central Andes in South America provides an unparalleled opportunity for the integrated study of human biology and culture. A long history of human occupation documents inter-regional population movement and interaction, as well as local changes in economic strategies and a continual restructuring of social organization and group identification. Investigations of this complex history are enhanced by the presence of well-defined, extensive mortuary sites that hold potential for examining a variety of topics important to the interpretation of Andean prehistory: social organization, demography, activity patterns and role-related behaviors, diet, and nutrition. Of special relevance in coastal arid environs is the remarkable preservation of mummified tissues, as well as other fragile items rarely encountered in the archaeological record. These include textiles, basketry, wooden objects, and plant and animal tissues. The proposed project focuses on three issues: (1) resource production and consumption (2) patterning of genetic relationships within and between groups, and (3) status distinctions, as represented in interments. The investigation is significant in that it will provide data to distinguish between the two contrasting models of the interrelationships of archaeological sites in the region: the "horizontality" model of Rostworowski, and Murra's "verticality" model.
